यामेतां वहसे मूढ सह भर्त्रा रथे स्थिताम् । अस्यास्तवाष्टमो गर्भः प्राणानपहरिष्यति ॥ ५,१.
Fool, you are driving this woman, standing with her husband on the chariot; her eighth child will take your life.
श्रीपराशर उवाच इत्याकर्ण्यं समुत्पाट्य खड्गं कंसो महाबलः । देवकीं हन्तुमारब्धो वसुदेवोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥ ५,१.
Śrī Parāśara said: Hearing this, the mighty Kamsa drew his sword and began to kill Devakī, but Vasudeva spoke these words:
न हन्तव्या महाभाग देवकी भवतानघ । समर्पयिष्ये सकलान्गर्भानस्योदरोद्भवान् ॥ ५,१.
O sinless one, you must not kill the blessed Devakī; I will hand over to you all the children born from her womb.
श्रीपराशर उवाच तथेत्याह ततः कंसो वसुदेवं द्विजोत्तम । न घातयामास च तां देवकींसत्यगौरवात् ॥ ५,१.
Śrī Parāśara said: Kamsa then said, 'So be it,' to Vasudeva, O best of Brāhmaṇas, and did not kill Devakī, out of respect for his word.
एतस्मिन्नेवकाले तु भूरिभारावपीडिता । जगाम धरणी मेरौ समाजं त्रिदिवौकसाम् ॥ ५,१.
At that very time, the earth, oppressed by a great burden, went to Mount Meru to the assembly of the gods.
स ब्रह्मकान्सुरान्सर्वान्प्रणिपत्याथ मेदिनि । कथयामास तत्सर्वं खेदात्करुणभाषिणी ॥ ५,१.
There, the earth, bowing to Brahmā and all the gods, spoke to them all, her words filled with distress and compassion.
भूमिरुवाच अग्निःसुवर्णस्य गुरुर्गवां सूर्यः परो गुरुः । ममाप्यखिललो कानां कुरुर्नारायणो गुरुः ॥ ५,१.
The Earth said: Fire is the foremost teacher of gold; among cows, the Sun is the supreme teacher; and for all beings, my own as well, Nārāyaṇa is the teacher.
प्रजापतिपतिर्ब्रह्म पूर्वेषामपि पूर्वजः । कलाकाष्ठानिमेषात्मा कालश्चाव्यक्तमूर्तिमान् ॥ ५,१.
The lord of the progenitors, Brahmā, who is the earliest of the ancients, is time itself, composed of moments, instants, and measures, and possesses an unmanifest form.
तदंशभूतःसर्वैषां समूहो वःसुरोत्तमाः ॥ ५,१.
He is the portion present in all these; the assembly of you, O best of gods.
आदित्या सरुतःसाध्या रुद्रा वस्वश्विवह्नयः । पितरो ये च लोकानां स्रष्टारोऽत्रिपुरोगमाः ॥ ५,१.
The Ādityas, Sādhyas, Rudras, Vasus, the Fires, the Pitṛs, and those who are the creators of the worlds, led by Atri—
एते तस्याप्रमेयस्य विष्णो रूपं महात्मनः ॥ ५,१.
—all these are forms of that immeasurable, great-souled Viṣṇu.
यक्षराक्षसदैतेयपिशाचोरगदानवाः । गन्धर्वाप्सरसश्चैवरूपं विष्णोर्महात्मनः ॥ ५,१.
Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Daityas, Piśācas, serpents, Dānavas, Gandharvas, and Apsarases—these too are forms of the great-souled Viṣṇu.
ग्रहर्क्षतारकाचित्रगगनाग्निजलानिलाः । अहं च विषयाश्चैव सर्व विष्णुमयं जगत् ॥ ५,१.
Planets, stars, constellations, the variegated sky, fire, water, wind, myself, and the senses—all the universe is pervaded by Viṣṇu.
तथा चानेकरूपस्य यस्य रूपाण्य हर्निशम् । बाध्यबाधकतां यान्ति कल्लोला इव सागरे ॥ ५,१.
Thus, of Him who has many forms, whose forms day and night assume the roles of oppressor and oppressed, like waves in the ocean.
तत्सांप्रतममी दैत्याः कालनेमिपुरोगमाः । मर्त्यलोकं समाक्रम्य बाधन्तेऽहर्निशं प्रजाः ॥ ५,१.
Now, these Daityas, headed by Kālanemi, having seized the world of mortals, oppress the people day and night.
कालनेमिर्हतो योऽसौ विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना । उग्रसेनसुतः कंसःसंभूतःस महासुरः ॥ ५,१.
Kālanemi, who was slain by the mighty Viṣṇu, has now been born as Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena, that great Asura.
आरिष्टो धेनुकः केशी प्रलंबो नरकस्तथा । सुंदोऽसुरस्तथात्युग्रो बाणश्चापि बलेःसुतः ॥ ५,१.
Ariṣṭa, Dhenuka, Keśī, Pralamba, and also Naraka, Sumba the fierce Asura, and Bāṇa, the son of Bali—
तथान्ये च महावीर्या नृपाणां भवनेषु ये । समुत्पन्ना दुरात्मानस्तान्न संख्यातुमुत्सहे ॥ ५,१.
And others, too, of great might, who have arisen in the houses of kings—these evil-minded ones, I am unable to count.
अक्षोहिण्योत्र बहुला दिव्यमूर्तिधराःसुराः । महाबलानां दृप्तानां दैत्येन्द्रणां ममोपरि ॥ ५,१.
Here are many divisions of armies, gods bearing divine forms, and over me are the proud lords of the Daityas, mighty in strength.
तद्भूरिभार पीडार्ता न शक्नोम्यमरेश्वराः । बिभर्तुमात्मानमहमिति विज्ञापयामि वः ॥ ५,१.
Oppressed by this great burden, O lords of the immortals, I am unable to support myself; thus I inform you.
क्रियतां तन्महाभागा मम भारावतारणम् । यथा रसातलं नाहं गच्छेयमतिविह्वला ॥ ५,१.
Therefore, O illustrious ones, let the removal of my burden be accomplished, so that I, overwhelmed, may not sink into the netherworld.
इत्याकर्ण्य धरावाक्यमशेषैस्त्रिदशेश्वरैः । भुवो भारावतारार्थं ब्रह्मा प्राह प्रचोदितः ॥ ५,१.
Hearing the words of the Earth, all the lords of the gods, for the purpose of relieving the Earth's burden, prompted Brahmā to speak.
ब्रह्मोवाच यथाह वसुधा सर्वं सत्यमेव दिवौकसः । अहं भवो भवन्तश्च सर्वे नारायणात्मकाः ॥ ५,१.
Brahmā said: Just as the Earth has spoken, so it is, O dwellers in heaven; I, Śiva, and all of you are of the essence of Nārāyaṇa.
विभूतयश्च यास्तस्य तासामेव परस्परम् । आधिक्यन्यू६ अताबाध्यबाधकत्वेन वर्तते ॥ ५,१.
And the powers that belong to Him, among them, superiority and inferiority, the states of oppressor and oppressed, exist in relation to one another.
तदागच्छत गच्छामः क्षीराब्धेस्तटमुत्तमम् । तत्राराध्य हरिं तस्मै सर्वं विज्ञापयाम वै ॥ ५,१.
Then let us go to the excellent shore of the Milky Ocean; there, by worshipping Hari, we shall present everything to him.
सर्वथैव जगत्यर्थे स सर्वात्मा जगन्मयः । सत्त्वांशेनावतीर्योर्व्यां धर्मस्य कुरुते स्थितिम् ॥ ५,१.
For the sake of the world, that all-pervading soul, the essence of the universe, descends to earth in a portion of his pure being and upholds righteousness.
श्रीपराशर उवाच इत्युक्त्वा प्रययो तत्र सह देवैः पितामहः । समाहितमनाश्चैवं तुष्टाव गरुडध्वजम् ॥ ५,१.
Śrī Parāśara said: Having spoken thus, the Grandfather went there together with the gods, and with a concentrated mind, he praised the bearer of Garuḍa.
ब्रह्मोवाच द्वे विद्ये त्वमनाम्नायपरा चैवापरा तथा । त एव भवतो रूपे मूर्तामूर्तात्मिके प्रभो ॥ ५,१.
Brahmā said: You are indeed the two forms of knowledge, the higher and the lower, as declared in the tradition; these are your forms, O Lord, both with and without form.
द्वे ब्रह्मणी त्वणीयोतिस्थूलात्मन्सर्व सर्ववित् । शब्दब्रह्मपरं चैव ब्रह्म ब्रह्ममयस्य यत् ॥ ५,१.
You are the twofold Brahman: the subtle and the gross, O all-knowing one; the Brahman of sound and the supreme Brahman, which is the essence of all that is Brahman.
ऋग्वेदस्त्वं यजुर्वेदःसामवेदस्त्वथर्वणः । शिक्षाकल्पो निरुक्तं च च्छन्दो ज्योतिषमेव च ॥ ५,१.
You are the Ṛgveda, the Yajurveda, the Sāmaveda, and the Atharvaveda; instruction, ritual, etymology, meter, and astrology are also you.